React Native vs Flutter
We'll help you choose during scoping. Here's how we think about it.
React Native
Best when: your team knows JavaScript / you have a React web app
- ✓Share logic with existing React web apps
- ✓Large ecosystem of third-party libraries
- ✓Familiar for JS/TS developers
- ✓Strong South African developer community
- ✓New Architecture (JSI) delivers near-native performance
Flutter
Best when: pixel-perfect design or performance on low-end Android devices matters
- ✓Consistent pixel-perfect rendering across devices
- ✓Excellent performance on lower-end Android hardware
- ✓Highly custom animations and design systems
- ✓Single rendering engine — no native component quirks
- ✓Extends to desktop and web from the same codebase
Why Cross-Platform Makes Sense
For most South African business apps, the economics and outcome of cross-platform development are simply better.
Lower build cost
One codebase, two apps. You invest in one engineering effort, not two parallel native builds.
Faster iteration
Feature updates ship to both iOS and Android simultaneously — half the QA, half the release overhead.
Native-quality UX
Animations, gestures, and platform conventions that feel right on each OS — not a web app in a wrapper.
Shared business logic
API clients, state management, and business rules shared across platforms — fewer bugs, less divergence.
Offline-first capable
Local SQLite or MMKV storage with sync queues so your app works on SA mobile networks.
Push & deep linking
Firebase Cloud Messaging, local notifications, and universal deep links configured from the start.